Formidable GB&I Walker Cup Team Announced by the R&A
ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND (August 21, 2017) - The R&A today announced the Great Britain and Ireland team to face the USA in the 46th
Walker Cup match which will be played at Los Angeles Country Club on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September.
Related: USGA Announces a Strong U.S. Walker Cup Squad
Related: TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: The 46th Walker Cup Match
The ten-player team includes five Englishmen, two Scots, two Welshmen and one player from Ireland.
The 10 players chosen by the R&A are:
- David Boote, 23, Walton Heath, Wales
- Jack Davidson, 20, Llanwern, Wales
- Harry Ellis, 21, Meon Valley, England
- Scott Gregory, 22, Corhampton, England
- Matthew Jordan, 21, Royal Liverpool, England
- Paul McBride, 21, The Island, Ireland
- Robert MacIntyre, 21, Glencruitten, Scotland
- Alfie Plant, 25, Sundridge Park, England
- Jack Singh Brar, 20, Remedy Oak, England
- Connor Syme, 22, Drumoig, Scotland
GB&I will be aiming to defend the trophy after securing a
16½-9½ victory in the 2015 match at Royal Lytham & St Annes; their biggest winning margin since the match was first played in 1922.
A ten-player team and two reserves have been named for the 2017 match with five Englishmen featuring alongside two Scots, two Welshmen and one player from Ireland.
The GB&I team includes The Amateur champion Harry Ellis, the Silver Medal Winner at The Open and European Amateur champion Alfie Plant, the Lytham Trophy champion Jack Singh Brar and the winner of the St Andrews Links Trophy Matthew Jordan. Last year’s Amateur champion Scott Gregory is joined in the team by the man he defeated in the final Robert MacIntyre.
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The trophy the GB&I captured in 2015
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Craig Watson, who will be captaining the GB&I team for the first time in the match, said, “We have been very impressed with the performances of many of the GB&I players so far this season and it has been a difficult decision to select only ten players.
“The Walker Cup match is one of the highlights of the golfing calendar and a tremendous opportunity for the players to shine on such a big stage. The Americans will be determined not to lose two matches in a row but we have selected a strong team and I’m sure the players will give it their all to try to retain the trophy.”
The reserves will be
Conor O’Rourke, 26, Naas, Ireland, and
Craig Howie, 22, Peebles, Scotland, respectively.
ABOUT THE
The Walker Cup
The Walker Cup Match is a biennial 10-man
amateur
team competition between the USA and a team
composed of players from Great Britain and
Ireland
and selected by The R&A. It is played over two
days
with 18 singles matches and eight foursomes
(alternate-shot) matches.
The first United States Walker Cup Team, which
in
1922 defeated the GB&I side, 8-4, at the
National Golf
Links of America, is considered among the best
teams
ever and included Francis Ouimet, Bob Jones,
Charles
“Chick” Evans and Jess Sweetser. Many of the
game’s
greatest players have taken part in Walker Cup
competition, including U.S. Open champions
Jack
Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth for
the
USA
and Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Justin
Rose
for Great Britain and Ireland.
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